Scotland/Scots > Licht frae the smiddy o' Saunders Dinwuddie

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machine foe incorrigibles.
law gangs. It gies him nae relief. It pouches
the fine. The bad and the bloody man will be at
his bad and bloody wark again, I warrant you. I
say why did not the law protectthat ill-used man
from the onslaught o’ that ruffian ? It couldna.
Weel, why did the law let that murderous beast
rin lowse, when it kent weel aneuch he was a
wild beast ? And I say to the maister, why do
you, Sir, keep sic a bloody monster as that in your
aucht ? or if you do, why don’t you chain him up
like a dog in a kennel, to keep the cur frae worry¬
ing folk.”
“ Weel, Saunders, seeing you are so severe on
the law that imposes fines and imprisonments on
criminals, and so hard on masters who harbour
and employ such reckless men, what would you
propose in the way of punishment ?”
“ Ye ken as weel as I do, sir, that the wise
man binds the horse, the ass, and the fool a’ in
the same tow, and he says, ‘ A rod for the fool’s
back.’ The fool may be a cratur o’ little or nae
wit, and unca 'sma’ capacity ; but wit here or
capacity there, even a gangrel idiot understands
the meanin’ o’ the rod, and shoots up his back
like a hurcheon at the sound o’ the very crack o’
the whup.”
“ Dear me, Saunders, you would never think'of
thrashing all offenders. You would need a rope-
work to supply you with instruments, and regi¬
ments of strong muscular men to lay on the backs
of the deserters from the ranks of honesty and
virtue.”
“ Na, na, Sir ; Saunders is no a
disciple o’ auld Draco, wha was